Minutes: The One with the Lesson about Germany (05/09/2012)

President Joe Weiland called the meeting to order.

Greeters: Jill Van Allen, Jody Dolan Holehouse
Invocation: David Vo
Flag Salute: Diana Cecala
Raffle: Sandy Grasso-Boyd brought poetry and chocolates. Jody Dolan Holehouse was the winner.

Guests: Ole’s friend Peter Kally

Announcements

• It’s time to sign up for service for the 2012-2013 Rotary year. Sign-up sheets were passed around the tables at the club meeting today.
• Dictionaries have been delivered to third graders in many schools in our community. The kids from one of the schools provided thank you cards that were displayed on the tables. Chris Tucker and Bill Abel reported on their delivery experiences. It was very positive!
• RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) . Some students wrote thank yous to our Rotary Club for sponsoring participation.
• May 21 golf tournament: We have 99 golfers. We need more silent auction items. Tim Marme reviewed who will be doing what tasks to make the day run smoothly.  Ladies will be sponsoring a Ladies of Rotary tee sign.
• We are dark next Wednesday. There will be no meeting on May 16.
• Next year we will have a student from Belgium.  Another youth exchange student will be sponsored by the club.
• Jerry Smith and Jody Dolan Holehouse were honored with Paul Harris Fellow awards. This is a PHF +2 for Jerry and a PHF +5 for Jody. We have the opportunity to do good things by giving.
• Friday, May 18 is Rotary zoo day.  This replaces our meeting. You can bring guests. They may be free or they may need to pay $10. Steve Boehm and Jeff Boehm will check off our members when they arrive at the zoo that day.
• Tuesday Rendezvous: A few members met at Casa Blanca last night. The Tuesday Rendezvous returns to The Wildcat on May 15 at 5:30 PM.
• Lunch lottery. The next match is Joanne Schoenfeld and  Fred Gaeden.

Program: Ole presents Germany and his American experience as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange Year

• Berlin is the capital of Germany. There are 16 states.
• The population is about 81 million people.
• There are 8 neighboring countries.
•  They vote every 4 years.
• Germany has had a tumultuous history. Germany was founded in 1871. It started both world wars. It was divided into East and West for nearly 30 years, and then unified in 1990.
• Ole’s parents lived in East Germany under a dictator.
• 4th grade students are tested and sorted into one of three high school levels. School is much more intensive, sometimes going from 8 AM to 9 PM.
• Ole said German schools do not have sports, activities, clubs or school spirit.
• He shared observations of American high school students: Girls wear more jewelry and piercings. Boys think brand names are very important. Americans dress much more casually than German students, even though German students don’t have a dress code.
• In Germany, there is no patriotism because of the guilt of the World Wars. He said you don’t see flags very often, and people cannot sing the first strophe of the national anthem. He wonders when the country can be proud again.
• If go to to Germany, know that it is bad manners to cut potatoes or asparagus.

Thank you to Susan Klein-Rothschild for the minutes.